Improvement in processes of treating hides



W; H. HOLMES. PROCESS OF TREATING HIDES N 170,855 I Patented Dec'.7,1875-.

ILPETERS, PHDTOUTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIon WILLIAM H. HOLMES, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES OF TREATING HlDES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,855, dated December 7, 1875; application filed July 19, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM HENRY HOLMES, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Process of Treating Hides, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my invention is to effect the rapid and thorough removal of the flesh, and the disintegration of the gristly substances, which adheres to a hide after its removal from the lime-vat; and this object I attain in the manner which I will now proceed to describe, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 represents a vertical section, and

Fig. 2 a plan view, of an apparatus by which my invention may be carried into efiect.

The ordinary process of fleshing hides is to subject them, after removal from the lime-vat, to the action of knives or scrapers, the operation being performed by hand, and being consequently somewhat slow.

I effect the removal of the flesh and gristle by subjecting the hide, to whichit adheres, to the action of a rapidly-moving roughened surface, which exerts a scratching or scraping effect on the hide.

The apparatus, which, on account of its simplicity, I prefer to use for this purpose, is illustrated in the drawing, and consists of a simple box or frame, A, within which revolves the disk B, the periphery of which is coated with sand or emery; and at one side of the box, at or near the top of the same, is arranged a bed, D, the surface of which is Sim ilarly coated. Part of the hide is held firmly against this roughened bed, and the other portion, then pressed against the roughened periphery of the wheel B, which revolves in the direction of the arrow, and rapidly tears away the flesh, and disintegrates the gristly substances of the hide, the position of the latter being constantly changed, until the whole surface has been gone over.

Besides the rapid and thorough cleaning of the hides, which is thus effected, the breaking up or disintegration of the gristly substance of the same materially facilitates and improves the subsequent tanning operation.

I claim as my invention- The within-described process of treating hides or skins before they are subjected to the tanning operationthat is to say, subjecting them to the action of a rapidly-moving roughened surface, which will remove the adhering flesh, and break up the gristle of the hide or skin, as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WM. HENRY HOLMES. Witnesses: A

EDWARD H. EOKFELD'I, HARRY SMITH. 

